This Outfit Was Made in the U.S.A.

Domestically produced menswear has found cachet among the sartorial set. Get ready for American goods that are quite a bit better than good

While American men's brands once prized the quality and cachet of European construction, or the cheapness of Far Eastern production, some of the best fashion now is produced right here in the U.S. Martin Marks on Lunch Break looks at today's top "Made in the USA" menswear. Photo: AP.

By

Martin Marks

Updated Oct. 12, 2012 12:01 a.m. ET

THIS PAST July, designer Ralph Lauren came under fire for outsourcing his Team U.S.A. uniforms for the Olympics opening ceremony. In the wake of the sartorial slip-up, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid went so far as to suggest that the uniforms be burned. A little over a month later, President Obama made a call to action at the Democratic National Convention for the country "to create a million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years." It seems the desire to make the goods we buy on our shores has never been greater. But in some menswear circles, a stylish and quiet resurgence has been underfoot since well before the Summer Games. Those dapper aesthetes who appreciate the difference between a non-fused and a glued collar have been turning to an unlikely source—a label that says, "Made in U.S.A."

In yet another twist on our culture's fascination with all things local, the fashion world is glorifying merchandise crafted close to home. "I guess you could call it a movement," said Michael Williams, founder of the popular menswear website A Continuous Lean. "There's been such a steady interest in goods that are made in the U.S.A., and it's definitely something that seems to be growing."

Mr. Williams has been spreading the evangel of all things domestically produced with his American List, a section of his website. On that list—which includes bicycles, bags, boots and denim—is a mix of new-wave and old-school American designers, mostly specialized and small-scale. Each item on the list carries a Made in the U.S.A. label. "I was thinking that these products could be something a little bit more sophisticated, younger and more fashionable," said Mr. Williams.

The crop of bright-eyed menswear talents making at least a portion of their wares domestically includes Scott Sternberg and his Band of Outsiders; Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow of the newly relaunched Public School; Florence, Ala.-based Billy Reid; and the virtuoso of all things suit-and-tie, Antonio Azzuolo.

Mr. Azzuolo has experience with European production, having worked as a designer at Hermès for three years. He is now one of a few American designers producing true luxury menswear in America. "I used to have this sort of snobbish attitude toward 'Made in the U.S.A.,' " said Mr. Azzuolo. "This has completely changed." The majority of the factories he uses are in New York, Long Island and New Jersey. Mr. Azzuolo, who launched his a.a. collection in 2007, sells to a handful of stores, with plans for expansion.

Even a company as big as Brooks Brothers, with approximately 125 stores nationwide, is now making all of its ties, as well as its luxury, made-to-measure and Black Fleece shirts, domestically. When Italian businessman Claudio Del Vecchio purchased the venerable purveyor of prep in 2001, he personally oversaw the safeguarding of two factories—one making shirts in North Carolina, the other making ties in Long Island City, N.Y.—that were destined to be closed. "I grew up in a factory, and I was familiar with manufacturing. I saw the potential," Mr. Del Vecchio said.

Under Mr. Del Vecchio's supervision as CEO and chairman, Brooks Brothers purchased an additional factory, called Southwick Clothing, in Haverhill, Mass. The brand now produces 80% of its suits there. "You can't compete with imports when the cost is higher and the quality is lower," said Mr. Del Vecchio. "But I felt that if we could increase the quality, we could compete not only against the Asian manufacturers, but also with the Europeans."

Soft yet sturdier than its European counterpart, the Brooks Brothers shoulder—beloved by John F. Kennedy and countless others—set an American standard. "We feel strongly that American factories can offer us that shape, and a lot of it has to do with the shoulder and the construction of the jacket," said Cuan Hanly, vice president and brand director of Jack Spade, which produces all of its suits at Southwick.

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This tradition of American tailoring is carried on by a small number of factories that have managed to weather a rise in outsourcing, and a bad economy. One of these is Martin Greenfield Clothiers, which has operated, in one form or another, out of the same Brooklyn location since 1917. Company co-owner Jay Greenfield estimates that there were once 2,000 to 3,000 union clothing factories operating in New York. "Nowadays, only a very small number of clothing makers are able to do this sort of work, so I think there's a great demand and a limited supply," said Mr. Greenfield. "Many of the designers who come to us have a clear understanding of the advantage of hand-tailored clothing compared to mechanized, mass-produced garments."

Another company experiencing the upsurge of interest in American-made goods, Hamilton Shirts, has been in operation since the administration of Chester A. Arthur. Today, the company makes shirts for the likes of Barneys New York and Neiman Marcus out of its Houston workshop. "Sometimes, you'd have to explain to people why they should buy something from America, as opposed to France or Italy," said David Hamilton, the current owner of the clothing company founded by his great-grandfather in 1883. "Now, they're excited about American style."

This excitement has also spread to foreign shores, particularly to customers in Japan who have started to embrace, if not fetishize, the Made in the U.S.A. hangtag. Mr. Reid's Heirloom collection, a more exclusive, small-run range that's made almost entirely in the United States, has done particularly well in Japan. "They love American workwear," Mr. Reid said. Mr. Williams, the American List-maker, noticed the trend after spending time in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. He noted that many of the brands on his list have done a brisk business selling to eager clients in Japan. "They want everything made in the traditional way," he said. "Made in the U.S.A. is a huge deal over there."

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